An exploratory study on the interplay between teachers' wellbeing, emotional regulation, and work engagement

Abstract

Teachers' wellbeing plays a crucial role in fostering high-quality educational environments and positive outcomes for students, teachers, and the educational community. Previous studies show that teachers´ emotional regulation strategies, particularly cognitive reappraisal, positively affect wellbeing (Braun et al., 2020). Additionally, work-related factors, such as work engagement and working conditions, also play a significant role. This study explores wellbeing among 443 teachers, examining its relationship with emotional regulation strategies, and work engagement. Data was collected using the Mental Health Continuum (Fonte et al., 2020), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (Gross & John, 2003), and Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (Sinval et al., 2018). Results showed that teachers exhibit medium-high emotional wellbeing, medium psychological wellbeing, and medium-low social wellbeing. Cognitive reappraisal and work engagement, particularly vigor and dedication, positively predicted wellbeing, while emotional suppression negatively predicted all dimensions of wellbeing. Findings highlight the importance of promoting emotional regulation and work engagement to enhance teacher´s wellbeing.